Admiralty

The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit decided nine admiralty cases with written opinions in 1994. In one case the court faced for the first time the issue of whether a vessel on dry dock was on land or water for purposes of admiralty jurisdiction. In another case the court interpreted, for the first time, a statute concerning marine sanctuaries. The other seven cases did not change the law as it exists in this circuit.

This was the case despite a factually attractive opportunity to relax the court's requirement that a shipper literally comply with the procedures set forth in the carrier's bill of lading to avoid the $500 package limitation. Finally, the Government shows no signs of abandoning its attempts to reverse maritime lien law as it relates to public vessels.